YOUTH RESOURCES: Prioritize now, don't wait until it's too late

Molli Serrano, considered to be one of the nation’s best amateur triathletes, lost her race against pancreatic cancer July 17.

Alberto Salazar, a famed distance running athlete and coach who had won three straight New York City Marathons and was still young, trim and running 25 to 30 miles a week, collapsed June 30, 2007 — fortunately, 14 minutes later, he was able to be revived by CPR and shocks from a defibrillator.

Becky Burnworth, who had run 10 marathons, played competitive soccer and had just followed her career to California’s central coast (which she claimed is a “runner’s Mecca”), was stricken June 16, 2013 — fortunately, for her dad Kent, sister Sam, grandmas Wilda and Shirley, and me (her mom), she was able to be revived after CPR, shocks from a defibrillator, intubation and emergency heart surgery after she coded in the emergency room at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, Calif.

Luckily for our family, cardiac surgeon Samir Bhatt was in the hospital visiting a patient when they called Becky’s Code AMI (acute myocardial infarction) rapid response team to her emergency room — and then they called Code Blue several minutes later when her heart stopped. Dr. Bhatt rushed Becky into surgery and saved her life.

We feel certain that, on Father’s Day, he would rather have been home with his family. Thankfully, they sacrificed his time with them for Becky’s life.

Death will happen to all of us — even those we consider “healthy.”

When given a second chance at life, though, it would seem people care more about making a difference.

In the September 2007 issue of Runner’s World magazine, Salazar was quoted as saying, “I’ve always believed that God has a plan for all of us, but he doesn’t force it on us. It’s up to us to have the faith to follow the plan.

“In my case, I feel that I’ve been living a pretty good life — I’ve tried to be helpful to people, I’ve tried to help my runners perform at the highest level. But now, I’m thinking God expects more from me than just that.”

Did Becky have any advice for young people based on her near-death experience?

“I think that we all know deep-down what we want, need and hope to accomplish with our lives,” she said. “My inherent fault was that I stockpiled responsibilities and ‘to-do’s’ so that I was forced to prioritize all of these things. I put off personal changes that I knew needed to happen in favor of the bigger tasks.

“So, I guess my advice would be not to discount how important those littler details can be in the grand scheme of things. It’s your life. If something causes you stress or anxiety, fix it. If you want a break, take it. But snap plenty of photos during that break — they’ll decorate your office someday! If you need help, ask for it. If you know you should be doing something else, do it. It’s worth it.”

When asked if she would have done anything differently as a teen if she had known she might die at a young age, Becky said, “Absolutely not. It’s cliché, but I think all of our experiences define who we are. I wouldn’t change anything.”

As her family, we wondered if Becky had re-prioritized anything since her heart attack.

“I wouldn’t call it re-prioritizing. It’s just paying more attention to balance,” she said.

Becky is not changing her plans for the future, either: “Not at all. I certainly have more gratitude for the chance to pursue my plans. Each morning, when Khali (her Border collie puppy rescued by Wassmer Stables in Poseyville, Ind.) wakes me up with a little paw slap to the face, I smile because I’m here. I get another day.”

Ann Burnworth is executive director of Youth Resources of Southwestern Indiana. Since 1987, Youth Resources has engaged 145,000 youths in leadership development and service through its evidence-based, youth-led TEENPOWER, Teen Advisory Council, Teen Court and Make A Difference Grant Programs. For more information please call 812-421-0030 or visit www.youth-resources.org.